Konaté to Real Madrid? AS Cast Fresh Doubt on Move

AS have today published a piece suggesting that Ibrahima Konaté may not be as nailed-on for Real Madrid as many would have you believe.

Written by Manu de Juan, the article highlights Arsenal’s William Saliba as the most appealing option for Madrid’s defensive rebuild in 2026, while describing Konaté as a less convincing sporting choice – only attractive because he could be available for free next summer.

That assessment is almost identical to the way Madrid-based media spoke about Trent Alexander-Arnold last year. At the time, he too was described as not entirely convincing in sporting terms, but a financially appealing opportunity because he was available on a free. Now, AS are applying the exact same language to Konaté.

This stands in stark contrast to MARCA and José Félix Díaz, who for weeks have been briefing that Madrid have Konaté “very advanced” and even hinting that there may already be an agreement in place. Díaz has been the loudest voice in Madrid media on this saga, framing Liverpool as desperate to renew the player while Madrid calmly wait in the background.

AS, however, strike a very different tone. Their boxed pull-quote states clearly: “Konaté convinces less in sporting terms, but is free in only one year.” In other words, Madrid admire the financial opportunity but do not rate him as highly on the pitch as they do Saliba. This coolness directly undermines the certainty that MARCA have been trying to project.

So who to trust? MARCA and Díaz are famously close to Florentino Pérez and frequently carry the line Madrid want fans to hear. AS, meanwhile, while also Madrid-based, often take a more sceptical, editorial stance. Manu de Juan is known for calm, careful reporting rather than hyperbole. That makes this clash of narratives fascinating – one camp pushing inevitability, the other suggesting hesitation.

For Liverpool fans, the key takeaway is that Madrid’s interest is real, but perhaps not as ironclad as MARCA would like us to believe. Whether this is internal disagreement within Madrid, or simply media positioning, time will tell.

As things stand, we remain of the opinion that Konaté will still complete a move to Real Madrid next year – but today’s AS piece is a reminder that, as always in Spain, the media war is almost as important as the football itself.

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